Thank you to Patricia Schaefer for submitting her sighting of 20 Red Knots on January 31, 2016 at approximately 3:00 pm on North Beach between the old inlet and the new inlet on the ocean side. This particular bird had a green leg tag with number 25P on his left leg. Patricia reported it to the Bird Banding Lab with the USGS.
Let us know if you see any interesting bird sightings on Seabrook Island by using this form.
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How can you distinguish the red knot. There is no red or rust coloring. Good eye Theresa spotting that tag
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Thanks Melanie for your great question! We will use Sibley Bird Guide to answer your question, but there are many great guides you can reference either in paper, on websites or in apps for handheld devices (please see our website).
During the Red Knot breeding season (August-April), the Red Knot does have a significant amount of red color. However, during the rest of the year it is mostly a dull gray with white underneath like many other shorebirds. During this time of year, the bird we feel it most closely resembles is the Dunlin. The Red Knot is a larger bird at 10.5″ in length and has a thick dark straight bill. The Dunlin is smaller at 8.5″ and its bill is slightly longer with a thinner tip which curves downward. We found he bill of the birds in the photograph taken by Patricia Schaefer to match the Red Knot. If you are on Facebook I will post a comparison picture from the Sibley Guide on our Seabrook Island Birders page. We hope this explanation helps, and in the near future we plan to start writing blogs to help in bird identification.
Thanks again! Nancy & Flo
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